Improvement in propelling canal-boats



EDWARD K. WATSON, or sHoKAN, NEW'YORK;

Letters Patent No. 107,573, dated September. 20,- 1970;.;

IMPROVEMENT 1N PROPELLING caNAL-BOAT5- f The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent andmaking of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD K. WATSON, of Shokan, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Device for Propellring Canal-Boats and other vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fnil, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying"drawing forming part of this specification, in which v Figure l is a top vview of the 'rear part of a canal" boat to which my improved device has been attached. 'Figure 2 is a detail vertical longitudinal section of the ysame taken through the line :t a; of ig.-1 v

- Similar letters of reference indicate, corresponding parts. l

My invent-ion relates to canal-boats, and my object4 is to improve the means of propelling them.

I will rst describe my improvement in connection v with all that is necessary to a full understanding thereof,`and then. clearly point it out in my claim.

A represents therear part of the body or the canalboat or othervesselthe rear portion of the iower'part of whichfupon both sides oi' the keel,'is

cutaway or recessed, to form spacesor recesses to rc.

oeive the operating parts of the device. In the recesses or spaces .thus formed upon each side of the keel, and at such a distance in frontofthe rudder B as to be entirely out of the way ofthe working of said rudder, is, secured one or more tubes, C, as Ashown in iig. 2, and indicated in dotted lines in: iml. v

l:D are tubes, placed in the said stationary tubes O, and fitting and working within said tubes. f v

In the forward part of the tubes D are secured hinged valves,- I, in such a way that, when the said inner tubes D are drawn' forward, the said valvesE may open, so as to 'present a very slight resistance to the "water, and when the said tubes D are pushed rearward the said valves will open out, so as to present` hun or,

the greatest possible resistance to water, and thus drive the boat forward,

To the forward end of each of the movable tubes' D is securely attached the rear end of a connectingrod, F, the forward end of which is connected-by'a comiecting-rod, G, with the lower arms of the bars or levers H,'which are secured or pivoted to a shaft, I, the ends of which are connected'with and supported bythe frame-work of the vessel, or other suitable snpf ports. Y

To the other or upper ends-ot the levers or arms `H 'are pivotedthe' forward ends ot'- the connecting-" rods-J, the rezirends of which are pivoted to therv cranks K of thecrank-shaft L, the ends of which vessel,l or in work ,inl bearings in the frame of the other suitable supports.

f -The cranks K, except the central one, .to whieh't-lxe, v power is applied, ,are arranged in pairs, the cranks of each pair being upon tliehsame side of the shaft K,

exactly parallel with each other, and one `upon each side ot'v the keel', so that two of the val'vetubes,DE, one upon eachside lof the keel, may always be working at the same time, so as to propel 'the vessel straight forward.

`By this arrangement the engine may be placed in y the stern .of the boat, so as to be as much as possible ont of the way, the whole apparatus requiring butv little space, and leaving the main body ofthe boat free to receive 4the loading.

.f Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- 'ent-,- ,The combination of stationary guide-tubes C with :movable valved tubes D E working within them, al1- relatively arranged and operating in a canal-boat, as

and for the purpose described.

EDVARD K. WATSON. Witnesses:

C. L. HOWK, (l. B. Brsrror. 

